ILB Jake Ryan, Michigan

2015 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT

APRIL 9, 2015

NFL Draft 2015 Scouting Report: ILB Jake Ryan, Michigan

*Our LB grades can and will change as more information comes in from Pro Day workouts, leaked Wonderlic test results, etc. We will update ratings as new info becomes available.

Why would I burn a 1st-round draft pick on guys like Dante Fowler or Shane Ray or Eli Harold, when I could take a player in the 5th+ round who may be better than all of them? That prospect, of course, is Michigan Linebacker Jake Ryan.

We’ll get into a more direct, detailed number comparison of Ryan vs. Ray-Fowler-Harold in the next section, but a quick summary of it would be: Ryan is a similar size, and measured as athletic as the other top OLB prospects. Where Ryan was better than the top OLBs mentioned, was on the field: Ryan is a superior all-around football player compared to Ray-Fowler-Harold.

Now, Eli Harold is probably a better pass rusher, but all-around Jake Ryan is better--he's a better tackler, plays with higher energy, possesses higher football IQ…and is more diverse in where he can play. Ryan’s for sure better all-around than Fowler-Ray. The added dimension Ryan gives is that he is a top Middle Linebacker prospect for this draft, as well as a top Outside Linebacker…probably more a 4-3 OLB than a 3-4 scheme version.

Ryan moved to Middle Linebacker full-time for Michigan last season, and racked up 112 tackles and 14.0 TFLs. Prior to that he played both OLB/ILB. The reason Ryan was initially an OLB is because he is a really nice athlete; an underrated athlete. He moves as/more quickly as your Fowler-Ray types, but he is so much more of a versatile Linebacker. Ryan is quick enough and tough enough to cover passes in the flat—whether spying a RB screen or chasing a loose WR or TE. He can also sneak over on the edge and rush the passer on occasion, but he really excels as an instinctual, hard-nose, sure tackler. He chases plays all over the field—thus his 9.3 tackles per game last season.

I watched Fowler-Ryan-Harold primarily rush the backfield off the edge, or sneaking up the middle on a stunt. Any tackles they made were more because the play came at them. Ryan is a different type player. He reads plays and reacts. On any given play, you could find Ryan as a pure ILB, but then next you’d see him lined up off the edge in a five-man front, as well as watching him drop back into coverage on obvious passing downs. If you buy that Ryan is as athletically gifted as Ray-Fowler-Harold, and you cannot dispute Ryan is a better football player…then why isn’t Ryan a 1st-round prospect over Ray- Fowler-Harold?

The one scouting negative you could point to: Ryan tore his ACL in 2013. He has that injury mark against him. However, he bounced back nicely in 2014. Outside of that, you are getting a smart, quality kid, who has work ethic and plays hard every snap…a team co-captain, and a guy who could be a starting middle

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2015 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT

APRIL 9, 2015

linebacker or outside linebacker in the NFL. What’s not to love here…especially at the discounted price an NFL team is about to get?

If not for the ACL ‘mark’, Ryan would grade even higher for us.

Jake Ryan, Through the Lens of Our ILB Scouting Algorithm:

I want to use this section to further compare Jake Ryan to Eli Harold, Shane Ray, and Dante Fowler (note most all Ray’s data is from his Pro Day). We used this same data comparison to look at why Eli Harold is very similar to Ray-Fowler. I think it is even more eye-opening here when you compare Ryan to this group, because Ryan is likely to be taken 100+ picks later than these three guys…

Height (weight):

6’3.1” (247) = Harold

6’2.5” (261) = Folwer

6’2.5” (245) = Ray

6’2.3” (240) = Ryan

40-time:

4.60 = Harold

4.60 = Fowler

4.64 = Ray

4.65 = Ryan

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2015 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT

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10-yard split:

1.56 = Harold

1.59 = Fowler

1.62 = Ryan

1.62 = Ray

Three-Cone:

7.07 = Harold

7.11 = Ryan

7.40 = Fowler

7.65 = Ray

Bench Press:

24 = Harold

21 = Ray

20 = Ryan

19 = Fowler

Vertical:

35.0” = Harold

34.5” = Ryan

33.0” = Ray

32.5” = Fowler

*Note in this next section, Ryan has the tackle advantage of playing as an ILB most of 2014, but the others should have had a TFL/Sack advantage as more pure DEs in college 2014…

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2015 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT

APRIL 9, 2015

Solo Tackles per game (last two seasons):

4.92 = Ryan

2.64 = Ray

2.62 = Harold

2.50 = Fowler

TFLs per game (last two seasons):

1.23 = Harold

1.20 = Ryan

1.13 = Ray

1.06 = Fowler

Sacks per game (last two seasons):

0.68 = Ray

0.65 = Harold

0.50 = Folwer

0.17 = Ryan

In summary, of this group/line of data: Ryan is right there as athletic (speed-agility-bench-vertical) as the other bigger names mentioned. Ryan shows he is the superior football player/linebacker when you see the output comparison. In short, there is NO good reason why Ryan is tracking 100+ pick projections behind Fowler-Ray-Harold…unless you hold that 2013 ACL against him.

Additional data note:

-- Ryan faced four higher-profile teams in 2014: Notre Dame, Utah, Michigan State, and Ohio State. His averages in those four games: 11.0 tackles and 1.2 TFLs per game.

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2015 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT

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The Historical ILB Prospects to Whom Jake Ryan Most Compares Within Our System:

We produced both an OLB and ILB comparison list from our system. Nothing would surprise me here with all the great names who Ryan compares to. Ryan as the next Bobby Wagner would not be a shock, nor as the next Paul Posluszny. At both positions, the system likes Alec Ogletree as a possible match. The takeaway being…Ryan is similar to higher draft pick guys, and those who went on to live up to their hype…or exceeded it. Ryan as a current 5th-round pick projection is silly…

ILB Last First Yr College Dr Dr H H W Tackle, Speed Score Pk Tm Strngth Agility Metric Metric 7.88 Ryan Jake 2015 Michigan ? ? 6 2.3 240 8.45 7.65 8.32 Lee Sean 2010 Penn State 55 DAL 6 2.1 236 7.33 6.37 9.00 Ryans Demeco 2006 Alabama 33 HOU 6 1.2 236 8.75 6.86 7.31 Phillips Jason 2009 TCU 137 BAL 6 0.6 239 8.38 9.94 8.66 Harris David 2007 Michigan 47 NYJ 6 2.2 243 9.41 9.82 11.51 Posluszny Paul 2007 Penn State 34 BUF 6 1.5 238 8.08 6.71 9.55 Ogletree Alec 2013 Georgia 30 STL 6 2.4 242 9.20 6.09

*A score of 8.00+ is where we see a stronger correlation of LBs going on to become NFL good/great/elite. A score of 10.00+ is more rarefied air in our system, and indicates a greater probability of becoming an NFL elite LB. All of the LB ratings are based on a 0–10 scale, but a player can score negative, or above a 10.0 in certain instances. Tackle-Strength Metrics = A combination of several physical and performance measurements. An attempt to classify the LB prospect's ability to stop the run, as well as to gauge how physical the player is, and the likelihood of higher tackle counts in the NFL. All based on profiles of LBs historically. Speed-Agility Metrics = A combination of several speed, agility, and size measurements...as well as game performance data to profile a LB for speed/agility based on LBs historically. A unique measuring system to look for LBs that profile for quickness, pass-coverage ability, and general ability to cover more ground.

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2015 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT

APRIL 9, 2015

2015 NFL Draft Outlook:

ESPN says Jake Ryan is the 137th best player in the draft, and CBS says he’s #169 as of this publishing. They are off by about 50-100+ spots. Ryan should be a top-64 prospect for this draft. In the end, I suspect he’ll be taken in the 4th-round on draft day.

If I were an NFL GM, I am making plans for Ryan because he’s going to be a draft bargain for sure...a top 30-60 type of talent available after pick #125 most likely. You have to love the draft value, and the Linebacker versatility he brings…he could be my starting Middle Linebacker or my starting Outside Linebacker. I want in on Ryan at the expected low price tag.

NFL Outlook:

Ryan will be one of those guys who will not generate much fan excitement when he’s selected, and then 2-3 years later he becomes one of the backbones of the team, and a fan favorite. If he stays ACL-free, Ryan is going to be one of the steals of the 2015 NFL Draft when we look back at it in 3-5 years.

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Signature______Date______4/9/2015

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